


Gardening is Cheaper than Therapy

by beesknees (daffodil23)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, Gardener!Cas, Gardening, M/M, grumpy!dean, hot temperatures, summer days, water balloon fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-04 18:32:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4148409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daffodil23/pseuds/beesknees
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was an exceptionally hot day in Kansas.  Dean's mood always seemed to be affected whenever the temperature rose.  To alleviate his foul mood, Castiel plans a surprise in the bunker's garden.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gardening is Cheaper than Therapy

_"Gardening requires a lot_

_of water-_

_most of it in_

_the form of_

_perspriation."_

_-Lou Erickson_

 

 

It was hot.

Like, Kansas-was-on-the-surface-of the-sun, hot.

When Dean was out for a beer run, he was pretty sure he had seen an actual egg frying on the sidewalk outside the Gas n' Sip.

Of course, he was the looney in a t-shirt, overshirt, jeans, and boots. Wearing more layers than an eskimo in winter. Sweat was dripping off him in rivulets.

What he wouldn't give to be in some shorts and flip flops. Maybe on a beach with a frosty beverage in hand.

Not today, though. He was heading back to his secret, underground bunker.

He didn't mind living like a mole-person on days like today. Where your skin practically dripped off your bones because it was scorching out.

Once he returned to the bunker and placed the case of cold ones in the fridge, he plopped his ass down in front of an outdated oscillating fan. The blowing cool air felt good against his heated skin.

He relaxed into his seat, laid his head back, and closed his eyes.

He must have dozed off in front of the fan. The same fan he picked up at an estates sale for five bucks. The same fan Sammy had laughed at him for buying, saying it was a "hunk of junk."

Who's laughing now?

He hadn't realized Castiel had joined him at the table, and nearly jumped out of his skin when he finally noticed the angel.

"Jeez, Cas! Give a guy a heart attack, why dontcha!"

"I apologize, Dean. I didn't mean to startle you," Castiel amended.

Dean waved off the apology with his hand.

Castiel shifted, what seemed uncomfortably, in his seat. Dean took in his best friend's appearance when he noticed the angel wasn't wearing his normal get-up. The blue-eyed man was dressed in a ratty, old t-shirt of his and a pair of running shorts.

"Where's your monkey suit?" Dean asked after sitting upright. He couldn't help, but notice how naked the angel's legs looked without pants. "Did you finally take that thing to the cleaners after wearing it everyday for the last seven years? I bet it could stand on its own."

Castiel rolled his eyes at the comment. Dean knew it hadn't been seven years, but close enough.

"No, Dean. I changed out of my suit when I went out to the garden."

Right. His garden. Castiel's little pet project. Dean hadn't made it up to the area where Castiel designated the garden would go. Dean remembered when he announced he was going to build a garden in mid-April. Sam and Dean basically told him to have at it.

It had been two months. Dean should go see what progress the angel had made out there. He was sure it couldn't be anything but impressive. Castiel was an angel of the lord, after all.

As if to read Dean's mind (did he still do that?), Castiel made a suggestion, "You should come and see how the garden is coming along."

"Right now?" Dean asked.

"Of course, right now. Do you have more pressing matters to attend to?"

Dean pouted because he didn't. "Well, no. It's just...it's so damn hot out there right now. And, I'm comfortable in front of my fan."

"I assure you, you will not burst into flames or turn into one giant freckle if exposed to the heat. Please come out. You haven't seen the progress, yet. And, I want to show you the tomatoes. They'll be great on your burgers when they are ready."

He must be taking lessons from Sam because his puppy-dog eyes were definitely improving. How could Dean say no to that?

"Fine. Fine! But, the moment I'm back inside, I'm drinking three beers, and not moving from in front of this fan," Dean proclaimed, rising from his seat.

He saw the smile it gave the angel when he agreed, and that was enough of a reason to endure the heat.  He followed Castiel throught the labrynth of hallways in the bunker.

Castiel stopped at the door leading to outside. He turned to Dean, and looked at the man from head to toe.

"You might want to lose the overshirt. Like you said, 'it is pretty damn hot' out there. Don't want you to bake," Castiel suggested.

Dean rolled his eyes, and removed the second shirt. He hung it up on a coatrack he had never noticed standing in the corner by the door. Shows how often he comes this way.

As Castiel opened the door before stepping outside, a blast of hot air slammed into their bodies. Dean was already sweating. The angel has five minutes!

Dean trailed Castiel up a set of wooden stairs to a flattened area. He didn't remember those being there, but then again, he'd only been out here once or twice. The flattened area was a thirty by sixty foot wide fenced enclosure. A painted green gate was the only entrance and exit to the garden.

Dean was impressed with the craftsmanship, and stopped to study the gate and surrounding fence.

"You did this all by yourself?" he asked, smoothing a finger over the gate's handle.

"Mostly. Sam helped a little with setting the fence posts."

"Why didn't you ask for my help? I would have been more than happy to," Dean questioned.

Castiel shrugged. "You were busy with your own things. I didn't want to bother you."

Dean walked through the gate, admiring the space. Eight garden beds littered the space in two rows of four. The eight foot beds were plump with rich and fertile soil.

He turned back to the man standing behind him. He felt uneasy with the idea of all this activity going on right under his nose, and he hadn't bothered to notice.

"You made the garden beds, too?"

Castiel nodded his confirmation.

"How did you fit all of this in the Continental?" Dean wondered aloud. He knew the car had room to spare, but it couldn't fit all the fencing, lumber, and soil to make the masterpiece before him.

"I borrowed Sam's truck. Made a few trips to the local hardware store for all the supplies," Castiel said, looking around the beds.

Dean didn't know if Lebanon even had a Home Depot-like place or if Castiel had to travel very far. He worried about him out and about on his own, despite being a full-fledged angel again.

Brushing the thoughts of Castiel out on his own aside, Dean took in the sight of the plants growing in the dark dirt around him. Everything seemed to be flourishing; dark green leaves and blossoms galore.

"Let me give you a tour," Castiel said, grabbing Dean by the wrist.

"Is this gonna take long? 'Cause seriously, it's freakin' hot out here," Dean grumbled. "Are you sure this isn't one of the circles of hell?"

Castiel shook his head at his friend's petulance. "No, Dean. This won't take long. And, last I checked, this was still Kansas not hell."

"Might as well be," Dean mumbled under breath.

"You are a very unpleasant man when you are overheated," Castiel said, rolling his eyes yet again. Something he must have picked up from Dean.

Dean trudged along behind the angel without another word. Castiel was obviously proud of his garden, and he had to admit, he was kinda acting like a two-year-old.

The two glided between the different garden beds. Castiel pointed out the different vegetables growing in each one. There was a designated squash bed with several varieties of squash. A pepper bed with both hot and sweet peppers. A corn bed, an onion bed, and cucumbers growing up a lattice. Dean marveled at all the fresh vegetables.

"The beans look a little wilted. Let me get the hose to water them," Castiel remarked, walking off to fetch the hose. "Why don't you check out the tomatoes I mentioned before."

Dean meandered over to the tomato garden bed. The green plants were peppered with little yellow flowers.

"Don't they look great? The fruits are really coming along," the angel called from another corner of the garden.

"I don't really see anything," Dean said squinting at the plants.

"Look a little closer."

Dean crouched down, and inched closer to the tomato plant in front of him. Sure enough, there were tiny green tomatoes tucked away amongst the foliage. He smiled, feeling pride fill his chest.

As he stood to face Castiel, an unknown object thumped into him, and spewed a liquid all over his person. "What the fu-?"

Dean examined his shirt, and realized the substance soaking into his clothes was water. His eyes whipped up to find Castiel some distance away, wearing a gummy smile and holding a red water balloon.

Dean scowled at his friend, noticing the bucket of prepared water balloons at his feet.

"Like I said, you are rather unpleasant when you are hot. I thought I'd help you cool off," Castiel said with a smirk.

"You son of a bitch," Dean half laughed, half muttered.

A water balloon hit him square in the chest, splashing onto his face and along his neck. Dean wiped the remnants of water from his skin, and shook it onto the ground.

"Oh, it's on," he proclaimed, rushing toward Castiel and the the bucket of water balloons.

Castiel barked a loud laugh, and quickly snatched up several of the projectiles before Dean could reach him. He lobbed a green balloon, and it smashed on the hunter's hip. He ran off, giggling, looking for a safe place to hunker down.

Dean's assault was swift. Castiel barely had a moment of pause before a balloon broke over the side of his head. Two more landed at his shoulder and stomach.

Castiel retaliated, hitting Dean on the thigh. A big belly laugh rumbled through the air.

This is the most fun Dean had had in awhile.

He returned to the bucket to gather more ammunition after chucking his last two balloons at the angel. As he stooped down to pick up more water bombs, Dean felt a sploosh spread across his backside.

He stood up quickly, properly affronted. "You hit me in the ass!"

Castiel chuckled. "All's fair in love and war." His gravely voice echoed off the back corner of the garden.

Dean loaded up his arms with at least a half dozen of the water balloons. "Oh, this is war alright."

He stalked over to the area where he heard Castiel's voice. Behind the compost bin, sat the angel in wait. Dean pelted the other man as he hopped up from his hiding spot. He received hit after hit against his back, waist, and legs.

Castiel whirled around, and threw his own stockpile of balloons at the green-eyed hunter. Each continual toss landed on various parts of his body, soaking him to his skin.

Castiel reached into what appeared to be a second bucket, pulling out more balloons.

"Hey! You cheated!" Dean called out.

"No," Castiel replied, hurling a balloon into the air. "I'm resourceful."

Dean charged his friend and the bucket, snatching a yellow-colored balloon from its resting place. He quickly smashed it over Castiel's head, laughing hysterically.

Castiel repeated the same action over Dean's head, laughing just as loudly.

They each took turns propelling the water grenades at one another until the cache of balloons was depleted from the second bucket. Each man paused to take in the severity of the situation.

Without communicating their intent, Dean and Castiel launched themselves toward the first bucket on the other side of the garden. They both arrived at the plastic container at the same time. Dean stumbled as he reached inside the bucket when Castiel did. Dean pulled at the angel's sopping clothing, trying to prevent him from obtaining the last water balloon.

Castiel grappled with the taller man, as they both fought for the prize. Their legs tangled as they struggled, trying to wrench the balloon from the other's hands. There was an unexpected pop, and the balloon burst over both their heads.

The angel and hunter flopped down together on the ground, breath heaving. Dean looked over to Castiel and laughed heartily.

"What?" Castiel asked, smiling.

"You look like a dirty, drowned rat," Dean commented while poking at the t-shirt clinging to Castiel's frame.

"Well, you don't look so hot yourself," Castiel said, mildly annoyed.

"I know," Dean smirked. "I just finished having a water balloon fight. I'm as cool as a cucumber."

"Only thanks to me," the angel scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah. You want a medal or something?"

"No, but I'll take this," Castiel said, leaning into Dean's space. He pressed his lips chastely to the hunter's.

He nuzzled at his neck. "That was better than a medal."

Dean's heart pounded rapidly in his chest. He wrestled with the control of his breathing. He was not expecting the kiss. He wasn't expecting anything, really.

Suddenly, without any thought, he surged up on his knees into Castiel's space. He flattened their mouths together to return the peck. Castiel grunted softly as their chests collided.

Moments later, the two separated, breathless. Dean brushed a strand of damp hair away from Castiel's forehead. He placed a soft kiss on the tip of the angel's nose before looking lovingly into his eyes.

"That was definitely better than any medal," Dean breathed before joining their lips together once again.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://deanisthebeesknees.tumblr.com) and send me prompts.
> 
> I'm nice, I swear! :)


End file.
